A Texas woman is facing serious charges after authorities say she beat her boyfriend with a hammer and left him badly injured in a tool shed on church property, where he was later found half-naked and covered in blood.
Abigail Marie Molina, 32, of San Antonio, was charged on Thursday, Feb. 5, with first-degree murder, theft, and tampering or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair, according to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. The charges are connected to the death of Gilbert Parker, 64.
The case reportedly came to light on Saturday, Jan. 18, around 1:30 p.m., when members of Old Path Baptist Church in China Grove made a disturbing discovery. Parker, who worked as the church’s maintenance man, was found “lying unconscious, partially naked and covered in what appeared to be dried blood in a tool shed that was fabricated to be his living quarters,” according to the affidavit.
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Investigators said the shed showed signs of a violent attack. Police reported finding “droplets and pools” of blood throughout the space, including on clothing and on two recliners located in the back of the structure.
Parker was rushed to a nearby hospital and later transferred to another hospital in San Antonio. According to the affidavit, his condition worsened after being admitted.
An autopsy later revealed Parker suffered multiple head injuries, including a skull fracture that caused bleeding in the brain. The affidavit also notes one head wound was described as “jagged” and may have been caused by a blunt object, possibly “like the claw end of a hammer, or the tip of a garden shovel.”
Authorities also said Parker’s wallet and his 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup truck were missing after he was found.
The following day, Monday, Jan. 19, Molina reportedly contacted the China Grove Police Department. According to the affidavit, she claimed “she had nothing to hide and that it was an act of self-defense regarding an altercation that led to Parker’s hospitalization.”
Investigators learned from one of Parker’s friends that Parker and Molina had recently been romantically involved. The friend told police the two “seemed to be in different places in the relationship,” describing Parker as “more involved and possessive,” the affidavit states.
The investigation took another turn on Feb. 2 when police received a call from one of Parker’s friends. The friend said an anonymous informant had revealed where the suspected weapon was dumped.
According to the affidavit, the informant claimed the weapon was a construction hammer with one claw missing, and that it had been tossed into a drainage culvert in San Antonio. A detective later found a hammer at the location described, which was reportedly near Molina’s residence.
Authorities have not made clear exactly when the alleged assault occurred. However, investigators later spoke with Molina’s ex-boyfriend, who allegedly told them Molina called him on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 15, and said, “I f—ed up,” according to the affidavit.
The ex-boyfriend claimed Molina told him Parker had hit her, that she “blacked out,” and then began “hitting him with the hammer repeatedly.” He also said Parker was “crying and asking for help.”
After the attack, Molina allegedly took Parker’s truck to a friend’s house and attempted to spray paint and sand it. The affidavit says she then brought the vehicle to a car wash to remove blood stains.
Investigators allege she later sold the truck to a “Cars for Cash” business in Houston for $300. Parker’s online obituary described him as a “man full of life and music.” Molina is currently being held at the Bexar County Jail. It is not clear if she has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.